University of South Carolina College of Nursing Fall 2021 Magazine

University of South Carolina College of Nursing

Gamecock Nursing Nation:

Above and Beyond

GAMECOCK NURSING NATION: ABOVE AND BEYOND INSIDE THE ISSUE

Practice in a pandemic 4

6

The Class of 2020's first year in practice

Answering the call

6

Helping vaccinate the community

Primary objective 10 Meeting the challenge of more NPs in rural SC C E N T E R of

EXCELLENCE in NURSING

EDUCATION 2020 - 2024

Advancing simulation education 12 The college's lab gets a new name and accreditation

Mental health matters

13

10

Faculty, students, and alumni address mental health

Pipeline program prepares students

14

Commitment to diversity

15

Partnership with Prisma Health

Improving awareness, knowledge, and actions

19

NEWS

34

Donors and Friends

Amazing Alumni

First-Class Faculty

26

Stellar Students and Programs

34

By the Numbers

16

19

42

Director of Communications

JAN JOHNSON

Assistant Director of Communications

sc.edu/nursing • @UofSCNursing

The artist Forrest Fortier was a critical care nurse specializing in

Senior Director of Development

retired from nursing, she focuses

MONICA CROMER ERICA NEET

2/COLLEGE OF NURSING

ABOUT THE COVER

MOLLIE ROE

Administrative Assistant The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities on the basis of race, sex, gender, gender identity, transgender status, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, protected veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

12

Contributing Writers

CRAIG BRANDHORST CHRIS HORN LAURA KAMMERER

Contributing Photographers

JASON AYER KIM TRUETT

education and administration. Now on her creative talents, including watercolor, acrylics, oil, color pencil, mixed media, and print collages.

The college has commissioned her to depict its missions and values in a series of drawings to be displayed in the college's lobby. The cover is the first of the series, representing Education.

FROM

THE

DEAN

Dear Alumni and Friends of the University of South Carolina College of Nursing: As we enter the Fall of 2021, I continue to reflect on the nursing profession's visible impact on our society. With the daunting COVID-19 pandemic and increased awareness of social and health inequalities, the public recognizes nurses as transformative providers who prioritize the health and wellbeing of families and communities. The nursing profession has also been reflective and identifies

opportunities to propel this transformation as we embrace our optimistic future with commitment, caring, and resilience.

In this issue, you will see how the students, faculty, and alumni from the University of South Carolina have been instrumental in the prevention and mitigation efforts of COVID-19 in our communities and the provision of courageous service on the frontlines in health care delivery. Our Center for Simulation and Experiential Learning continues to "raise the bar" in the novel preparation of future nurses and advanced practice nurses, and the quality and innovation of our world-class academic programs continue to soar. We share recent groundbreaking approaches to mental health, cancer survivorship, rural health, and chronic disease management and highlight nursing-led practice innovations, original research, and health-promoting policies. Our attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion intersects all that we do in the college, and we continue to grow, learn, and propel this critical work forward.

Our generous alumni and "friends of nursing" donations assist in resourcing our growing student and faculty groups while enhancing our college's mission to provide nationally recognized educational programs, advance science, practice, and policy to optimize health for all. We thank you for your ongoing and dedicated support of our college.

With exceptional rankings and reputation, the University of South Carolina is recognized as a top nursing program in the country, and our team will push forward and stay focused. We need nurses now more than ever. We are committed to being part of the solution in transforming the future of nursing and health care delivery in South Carolina and the nation.

I invite you to join us for conversations and engage with us on how together we can build upon the best of our profession and shape our future.

Jeannette O. Andrews Ph.D., RN, FAAN Dean and Helen Gurley Wolford Professor of Nursing

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 3

PRACTICE IN A PANDEMIC

The Class of 2020’s first year in practice

These eager RNs spent the last of their senior year adapting to virtual school, mask policies, and pivoting their expectations of traditional graduation. On the first day of work, the graduates of 2020 were greeted with masked smiles and welcomed by their new co-workers. This class has shown resilience and passion for nursing while entering a health care environment filled with uncertainty and frontline fatigue. We admire their commitment to nursing during an overwhelming first year of practice.

PASSION PROCEEDS PANDEMIC When LORIBETH SMITH graduated and received approval to take her NCLEX exam, the waitlist for anywhere within a 2-hour drive was over six months. Testing centers were only allowing six people at a time, and not all facilities were open. Smith had a job lined up in Labor & Delivery, a specialized and coveted area, and she wasn’t about to lose her spot. She needed to take the NCLEX as soon as possible and found a testing center available in Miami, FL. Smith shares, “To pick up and head out of state was challenging, but I had worked so hard for four years that taking the 1,000-mile round trip was worth securing my dream job.”

Smith is now an RN in Labor & Delivery at Beaufort Memorial in Beaufort, SC, and Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro, SC. Smith says the first year of working has been so unpredictable because of COVID-19. In addition to screenings and PPE requirements, being short-staffed means the possibility of being pulled from one floor to the next without notice. With rising COVID-19 numbers, hospitals want staff vaccinated by a specific date or be faced with job termination.

“NURSING IS NOT AN EASY CAREER ON A NORMAL DAY, BUT COVID-19 HAS MADE IT SO MUCH MORE TRYING. WE STILL PUSH THROUGH AND FIGHT TO PROTECT OUR PATIENTS, OUR FAMILIES, AND OURSELVES. NURSING IS NOT A CAREER CHOICE —IT'S A LOVE, A PASSION, AND A CALLING!" Smith exclaims proudly.

Smith says UofSC Nursing prepared her in more ways than she ever thought possible.

With challenging and intense classes and clinicals, she feels ready to take on the world.

Smith shares, “Our professors pushed us and didn’t cut us any slack. That’s how nursing should be. After all, you are holding someone’s life in your hands.”

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PREPARED FOR ANYTHING GRACE MOOK had the same problem — finding a testing site in the Carolinas or the possibility of losing her lined up job. She was able to find a testing center in Lynchburg, VA, and began her nursing career in the Neuro ICU at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. Mook shares that becoming a nurse during a global pandemic was stressful. She entered the profession with a shortage of nurses, lack of PPE, and rapid filling ICUs. After a few months, as she became confident in her ICU skills, she began working extra hours on the COVID-19 ICU. “COVID-19 POSITIVE PATIENTS ARE THE SICKEST I HAVE EVER CARED FOR, BUT I WANTED TO HELP FIGHT THE ONGOING BATTLE ALONGSIDE THESE FRONTLINE NURSES," she says. She feels that as scary as this virus is, some of the most important moments in taking care of COVID-19 patients are holding their hands and letting them know they are not alone. Mook feels UofSC Nursing prepared her to practice with integrity and not cut corners. “My professors taught me to prioritize and multitask. We can be pushed to the limits and yet maintain compassion and empathy for our patients,” she says.

LEARNING TO BALANCE MADISON WILSON traveled from Ocean City, MD, to Allentown, PA, to take her NCLEX. She is working in the Cardiac Critical Step-Down Unit at Caromont Health in Gastonia, NC. Wilson describes her first year of practicing as an “absolute whirlwind.” She has gained additional experience outside of cardiac critical care because of overwhelmed hospitals and meeting community demands. Patients are being admitted to a-typical floors because of the pandemic. For example, she has taken care of oncology and neurology patients while on the cardiac floor. Wilson has learned when to ask for help and the importance of a strong supportive team. “My co-workers are everything,” she shares, “as is self-care, such as taking breaks and using PTO.” Wilson feels UofSC Nursing prepared her above and beyond, which became apparent in her early days at orientation. “MY CONFIDENCE, KNOWLEDGE BASE, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS BECAME

INVALUABLE AS I CROSSED TO WORKING ON THE FRONTLINES," she says. She felt equipped to jump right into the fires of the pandemic. “There isn’t a single thing I would change about my experience at the college. There is certainly a method to their madness,” smiles Wilson.

GOING THE DISTANCE ROCIO MUNDO is the lead nurse with Bamberg School District 2. She took her NCLEX seven hours away in Altamonte Springs, FL. “It was important to me to take the NCLEX promptly after graduation to begin working and making a difference during the pandemic,” Mundo shares. She has learned so much in her first year, but it has been very challenging due to COVID-19.

Mundo feels that UofSC Nursing equipped her with leadership skills and to prioritize to decrease stress daily. She says, “I WAS PREPARED TO START MY CAREER WITH THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO WORK IN A PANDEMIC.

IT IS NOT EASY, BUT KNOWING HOW TO STAY FOCUSED IS A LIFESAVER."

Read on our website

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 5

6/COLLEGE OF NURSING

ANSWERING THE CALL

Helping vaccinate the community

Early morning on Tuesday, January 19th, Dean JEANNETTE ANDREWS received a phone call from the college’s clinical partner, Prisma Health, sharing an urgent need for volunteers at their newly opened vaccination site at Gamecock Park. Within a few hours

KAREN WORTHY, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and the faculty in clinical undergraduate courses recruited 51 student volunteers to the vaccination location. Faculty and students heeded the request for help, and the college arranged to rotate Prisma clinical groups at Gamecock Park for the rest of the week. By the end of the week, over 130 students assisted in administering approximately 5,780 vaccines.

"Our students had the opportunity to work in one of three stages of the vaccination clinic: intake/registration, immunization, and observation. During an ongoing public health emergency, the need to teach becomes critical as new graduates will be entering the profession during the current COVID-19 pandemic and must be prepared to practice,” says Dr. Worthy.

LIAM HEIN, Associate Professor, volunteered to oversee six undergraduate nursing students qualified to administer vaccines.

"They jumped right in. We rotated roles by registering them into VAMS (the computer system), processing their cards, screening them, administering shots, and providing aftercare instructions.

We had a smooth system running in 30 minutes," says Dr. Hein.

This unprecedented pandemic has shifted many norms for nursing students. Still, it has also presented an abundance of unique learning opportunities to build critical skills needed to be successful and compassionate nurses. Dr. Hein says he reminds students that ten years from now, when their children or nieces/nephews ask them what they did to help during the pandemic, they can say they helped administer vaccines to keep people safe. And that's a legacy they can be proud of. Dr. Hein shares how proud he is of the students, "Yes, it's a clinical experience, but they, too, are at risk in this role. They eagerly stood up and helped out using a skill set they could offer.”

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 7

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

"I volunteered at a vaccine site because of my commitment to serve, strengthen, and improve

BSN student LINDSEY LIPMAN met

the health of our community," says KAIMYA SHOSAN, BSN

patients and administered the vaccine to individuals,

student. "By doing my part, I

signed their forms, and

contributed to a massive effort

wrote timecards to place on their windshields for their 15 minute waiting period after vaccination. Lipman says from this experience, she learned

that is very fulfilling." Shosan also feels the volunteer opportunity solidified her commitment and desire to be a nurse.

With the overwhelming number of community members signing up to get vaccinations, numerous other vaccine

how much it takes everyone to come together to stop the spread

sites called on the College of Nursing for assistance. Over

of COVID-19. “There were so many people involved in the

the semester, 670 nursing students and 65 faculty members

distribution of the vaccine, whether it was on the administrative

modeled the core nursing value of commitment. Students

side filling out paperwork and directing cars or the clinical side

and faculty volunteered 6,839 hours at local vaccine sites

of drawing up and administering the vaccine,” she shares. At the

to improve the Columbia community's health and battle

end of her shift, she felt proud to administer vaccines to so many

COVID-19. Students delivered vaccines in partnership

individuals who needed it the most. She had the opportunity

with Dorn VA and UofSC Veterans Clinic, Kershaw Health,

to chat with and meet people who had amazing stories to tell,

Lexington Medical Center, Mackey Family Practice, Piedmont

stories that she says deserve to be heard and protected. “The

Medical Center, Prisma Health (Gamecock Park), Providence

COVID-19 vaccine is helping do just that by protecting these

Health and St. Joseph Catholic Schools, United Cerebral Palsy,

individuals. Just as everyone else, my life has been greatly

and the UofSC Student Health Center.

affected by COVID-19, and it was truly incredible to see the

The sites provided students with a unique opportunity to

amount of hope this vaccine is providing to people,” she says.

work in critical community health settings. Students rotated tasks and were exposed to various duties such as patient intake, health assessment, and patient communication. Eligible

BSN student ASHLEY OWENS also administered 34 vaccinations on the day she volunteered. Owens

students also practiced intramuscular injections, which is a skill students rarely perform in the acute care setting as most medications are oral or IV.

says this experience was a

ERIC TYLER of the UofSC Student Health Center said that the

faster pace than the actual

nursing students were a tremendous asset to University Health

hospital site. It was a great

Services. "Their participation allowed our staff to focus on

bonding experience for her MedSurg Clinical Group as well.

Owens feels like she is impacting the

other efforts with the confidence that COVID-19 related tasks assigned to the student volunteers would be handled with the utmost care and eagerness," Tyler shares.

community by working together with health care professionals to fight this pandemic.

VIEW THE VIDEO THANKING OUR GAMECOCK NURSES → 8/COLLEGE OF NURSING

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 9

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

South Carolina desperately needs more nurse practitioners, especially in rural areas.

The College of Nursing is meeting the challenge.

Like a lot of patients at JACKIE BAER’S, '00 CGS, '17 DNP,

the work schedules of her patients — many of them hourly paid

health clinic on Johns Island, S.C., Bill* had limited

service industry employees who can’t afford to miss work during

financial means and a chronic health condition. Dr.

the day.

Baer, a family nurse practitioner, managed to lower

Dr. Baer’s patients definitely need her — and South Carolina

Bill’s blood sugar, but she arranged for him to see

desperately needs more dedicated nurse practitioners like her,

an endocrinologist to put the finishing touch on his

especially in rural and underserved communities where primary

diabetes management.

health care providers aren’t nearly as plentiful as in larger cities and

Imagine her shock when she saw Bill in her clinic weeks later

affluent suburbs. It’s estimated that the Palmetto State needs more

and his blood sugar level had spiked. “I was shocked — that

than 800 additional primary care providers in the next 10 years just

was the opposite of what I was expecting after sending him to a

to keep pace with the needs of its growing and aging population.

specialist,” says Dr. Baer. The mystery was quickly solved when

That’s why the College of Nursing is working on a solution that

Bill confided that he couldn’t afford the expensive medicine the

could provide a model for all of South Carolina and perhaps even

endocrinologist prescribed. Also, because he had no smartphone

the rest of the country where the coming shortage of primary care

or computer, Bill hadn’t done any virtual follow-ups. Dr. Baer called

providers also looms large.

the endocrinologist to explain the situation, suggested a cheaper

Funded with a grant from the federal Health Resources and

prescription and asked him to forget email and Skype, to simply

Services Administration, the college has partnered with the Eau

call Bill for follow-ups to keep him on track.

Claire Cooperative, the state’s largest federally qualified health

“So, problem solved, but it took some effort. It’s like that with a lot

center, to train a new wave of family nurse practitioners for

of my patients — they need advocacy,” she says. It’s why she works

underserved communities. This grant also aims to increase the

long hours and often stays open in the evenings to accommodate

diversity of the state's family nurse practitioner student population and workforce.

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That’s what family nurse practitioner DALE BARWICK, '90 MSN, has done in Summerton, S.C., where she opened a solo practice. The small, impoverished town had gone seven years without a

WE HAVE QUITE AN OPPORTUNITY IN SOUTH

primary care provider before she arrived. Most of her patients are

CAROLINA TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE JUST BY

on Medicaid or Medicare, and many of them walk or ride bikes or

MAKING SURE WE HAVE MORE PROVIDERS IN

motorized wheelchairs to her practice.

“There is overwhelming poverty here. If I talk about it too much

UNDERSERVED AREAS. NEARLY ALL OF THE 46

it makes me cry, the poverty that exists that people don’t know

COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE CONSIDERED

about,” Barwick says. “I just try to focus on the fact that I’m here

UNDERSERVED FOR PRIMARY CARE. Alicia Ribar, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

helping them, so at least I know I’m making a difference.”

Before Barwick opened her clinic there, she says many Summerton residents used emergency rooms in nearby towns for routine health care needs. She explains, “Either they caught a ride to the emergency room, or they called 911 to get over to the emergency room in Manning because their meds had run out and their blood sugar was 500 or their blood pressure was 230 over 120. So, I’ve cut down on a lot of that because now they’re coming here to get their blood pressure checked and get their labs done and all of the

Given their training and the scope of their practice, family nurse practitioners are a vital component in the state’s primary care provider network, especially in rural areas where new doctors are less likely to practice. New rules initiated in 2018 governing nurse practitioners in South Carolina made it far easier for family nurse practitioners to establish collaborative partnerships with physicians. Now a family nurse practitioner can partner with a physician anywhere in the state; previously both parties had to be within 45 miles of one another, a requirement that was often a deal breaker for nurse practitioners in remote communities. Through its grant, the College of Nursing is recruiting graduate students from rural communities and offering scholarships for the master’s degree that leads to becoming a family nurse practitioner.

“We are actively looking for people from rural areas, including RNs who are working in federally funded health clinics, and those with diverse backgrounds to receive this scholarship funding,” says

SHERYL MITCHELL, '05 BSN, '08 DNP, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies.

“We know that students who live in rural areas are more likely to go back to those communities to work if they have the financial support they need to further their education.”

There have been other attempts to place family nurse practitioners in rural and underserved areas, but it can be a struggle if practitioners are not from that community or didn’t grow up in a similar community. “We’ve seen people put in a year or two and

things that are supposed to be done to take care of those chronic illnesses.”

Understanding the nuances of providing care in settings like Summerton is one of the goals of the College of Nursing grant.

“By teaming with the Eau Claire Cooperative, we have more control over our students’ residency experience,” Dr. Ribar says. “We can fashion their experience much more thoughtfully through the cooperative and give them some exposure and learning opportunities that will help them succeed down the road.”

The College of Nursing’s objective is to place 60 new family nurse practitioners in rural and underserved areas over the next four years.

Serving a patient population that’s in a rural or underserved area typically translates into some degree of financial sacrifice and often means longer working hours. TAMIEKA ALSTON-GIBSON, '07 BSN, '15 CGS, can relate to both situations, having a solo family nurse practitioner practice near Spartanburg. “We definitely cater to the underserved and take care of uninsured patients,” says Alston-Gibson, who grew up in the small South Carolina town of Estill. “My goal is to provide equality in health care because I truly believe that health care is a human right. I try to make my community my priority and help everyone willing to take my help." * Patient's name changed to preserve anonymity

then leave in those situations,” Dr. Mitchell explains. “We really want to establish a long-term presence with our FNPs in these areas.”

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /11

ADVANCING SIMULATION EDUCATION

THE CENTER The college's Simulation Lab has been renamed The Center for Simulation and

DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT Dr. Murillo is

Experiential Learning (SAEL). The Society for Simulation (SSH) and the Council for

the current

Accreditation of Health Simulation Programs have granted SAEL accreditation in Teaching/Education. The SSH is the largest health care simulation accrediting body

President of

in the world. The college’s center is the first stand-alone program of nursing in South

the South

Carolina to be granted accreditation by SSH. Center Director, CRYSTAL MURILLO, says, “We

Carolina Nursing

are excited about this achievement as it attests to the quality of experiential learning in our educational programs designed to prepare the future nursing workforce.”

Education Simulation

SHiNE GRANT Dr. Murillo received a Health Resources and Services Administration Grant for her project, Experiential SHiNE (Simulation and Social-determinants of Health in Nursing Education). The project focuses on using simulation education training to transform South Carolina’s public health nursing workforce. The goal is to improve rural populations’ health outcomes most at risk from social determinants using a training curriculum specifically designed to prepare faculty and students to serve as social justice advocates. The two high-fidelity manikins of color are the first to arrive in a nursing program in South Carolina. Based on a previous research study Dr. Murillo conducted with colleagues, these manikins are the first of few to arrive in a nursing program in the nation, as 90+ percent of labs had very little diversity of simulation equipment. SHiNE was designed using a community-based, hands-on approach to create collaboration among stakeholders and inform the training curriculum development. Also working on this project are faculty members Drs. CORETTA JENERETTE, KAREN WORTHY, MICHELLE BRYAN, and ABBAS TAVAKOLI.

12/COLLEGE OF NURSING

Alliance (SCNESA) and serves as adjunct faculty at the Harvard Center for Medical Simulation. A native South Carolinian, Dr. Murillo, shares, “I am invested in using simulation to improve patients’ lives in this state.”

She has also been accepted as an Advanced Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE-A) through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This advanced certification is recognized internationally.

There are currently only 76 CHSE-A’s who represent more than 40 countries around the world.

COMMITMENT TO

DIVERSITY

STATE-WIDE COLLABORATIVE DEI PANEL

MEN IN NURSING

The Colleges of Nursing at Clemson, MUSC, and UofSC hosted a collaborative virtual panel series throughout the 20-21 Academic Year. The Critical Conversations series addressed the plight of black faculty, staff, and students in higher education. The colleges rotated hosting panels focused on faculty recruitment, faculty, and staff retention, enhancing career success, and student clinical experiences.

The goal of the series was to improve awareness, knowledge, and actions by addressing DEI concerns and challenges of faculty, staff, and students.

SIMULATION IN Ph.D. PROGRAMS (SiPP©) Students in the UofSC Ph.D. Nursing in Science program participate in more “hands-on” activities, and simulation and experiential activities are integrated throughout the Ph.D. courses. The activities, such as conducting focus groups with vulnerable populations or using an escape room approach to navigate principles of performing ethical research, provide innovative strategies that emerged from the Simulation in Ph.D. Programs or SiPP©. SiPP aims to cultivate social justice advocates as students matriculate the Ph.D. program.

Nurses care for patients of all backgrounds, genders, and experiences. It is valuable for a patient to feel represented by their health care providers.

Male nurses provide a unique perspective and offer a varied set of skills.

CRAIG SMITH, '05 BSN, is the director of education and innovation at Kingman Regional Medical Center in Kingman, AZ. Smith's mother was a nurse, and one of the main reason's he chose nursing. He also felt it was a religious calling and that caring for others is a wonderful way to serve God. Smith has worked with former police, paramedics, firefighters, and special forces in the military and considers all of them heroes. He has dealt with stereotyping of men in nursing, having to defend his chosen profession.

He says, "Just like some females want a female caregiver, many men are

An essential part of the learning process to cultivate social justice advocates is to go beyond the admission criteria. Ph.D. Program Director JEAN

DAVIS, CORETTA JENERETTE, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity, and WHITNEY SUDDUTH, Diversity Coordinator, used mask-making during orientation for student expression, narratives, and sharing. The exercise will be repeated at specific time points during the Ph.D. program to see how their identity changes. Mask-making is another experiential activity that goes above and beyond learning how to carry out research.

the same. The variety in nursing helps those we all serve."

When BRENDAN KREAG,'21 BSN, first began nursing school he felt a little isolated. He became involved in the Dean's Student Advisory Council and Men in Nursing. He shares, “the Men in Nursing organization introduced me to an incredible group of guys who helped guide me through lower division nursing." The mentorship he received from upper division male students provided a blueprint of a successful nursing student, which Kreag followed. When Kreag became an upper division student his junior year, he took a leadership role within Men in Nursing and built the organization’s mentorship program. Kreag says, "The organization did so much for me, and I wanted to help us go even further in mentorship.

We have built a robust program that benefits the mentor and mentee through strategic planning and member feedback. I'm proud of the work we’ve done." Kreag began his nursing career after graduation in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Hospital.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /13

PIPELINE PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS I n partnership with Prisma Health, upper division nursing

students at the college can now gain additional training as

paid employees. The READI 2 Work initiative pairs academic

learning and clinical experiences to strengthen nursing skills

and prepare students for real-world work. The process includes a formal partnership with nursing programs to ensure practice and validation of nursing skills through a precepted process.

"Our students have an opportunity to practice the skills that they have learned in the academic setting. They have the opportunity to broaden their skills through practice as an employee of Prisma Health," says CAROLYN SWINTON, Chief Nursing Officer, Prisma Health.

BSN student ZOE ALBERT was part of the

Financial incentives include loan repayment opportunities and incentives for students who become

inaugural cohort of the READI 2

RN employees working at Prisma Health.

Work program. Her experiences in the program provided her with extra hands-on practice while also benefiting her financially through the loan forgiveness the program offers. She

This program gives students an edge.

They will receive additional training and exposure in the clinical setting and time to learn and grow as they prepare for their transition to a registered nurse.

DEAN JEANNETTE ANDREWS

shares that a typical day in the program is like clinicals in school but more one-on-one with a preceptor. She says the program has given her practice with a variety of patients and has helped her gain confidence in her abilities.

"My biggest takeaway has been the strengthening of the basic skills we learned throughout school, such as setting up IVs and tube feedings," Albert says.

BSN student HALEEMA ADLY applied to the program because she wanted to get hands-on experience as soon as possible. She is working in the MedSurg Unit and getting to see “a little

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE READI 2 WORK PROGRAM →

bit of everything.” Adly shares, “I am excited to build the skills and confidence that will prepare me to work with patients on my own. All of this is to help me get closer to my dreams, and I am so grateful for the

14/COLLEGE OF NURSING

opportunity.”

In 2016, then

MARIA PLATANIS is a first-year Ph.D.

nursing student

student with a passion for preventative

BRADLEY QUARLES, '18 BSN, advocated

and holistic care. Platanis is the owner of Tribe Yoga Studio in Columbia, SC, focusing on physical and emotional

adding the

wellness in the community. “Becoming

suicide hotline on

a yoga teacher later in my career is very much in alignment with my being a

UofSC's Carolina Cards, and in 2017, they did just that. South

is essential. One cannot separate the

Carolina lawmakers have now passed a

mind from the body, or the spirit from the body,” says Platanis. She plans to focus her Ph.D. research on preventative methods for elderly patients with valvular heart disease. “Many clinicians wait to treat their patients until the later stages of the disease. We would never wait to treat cancer,” she continues, “I

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

nurse. A holistic approach to nursing

bill to add the national suicide prevention hotline to all middle, high school, and college identification cards.

Quarles says, "It's great to see that

something we advocated and implemented University-wide is now a state law

impacting all students across the spectrum.

want my research to impact how we look

This change began at the UofSC College

at the disease from a comprehensive

Nursing, and it's something we can all be

approach.”

proud of. As a student, I saw many of my peers struggling with mental health, and I

knew it was important to have immediate, MSN student LINDSEY THOMPSON is an RN at the Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital in Anderson, SC, and has

available resources. As nurses, we recognize problems that are priorities, and we seek to fix them."

worked in various roles for the South

The COVID-19

Carolina Department of Mental Health

pandemic

since 2015. Thompson decided to

brought

pursue a psychiatric mental health

significant

nurse practitioner degree to impact her

challenges for

patient's treatment plans and help them

families across

find the ideal regimen that helps them be

America and

their best selves.

The study she and faculty mentor, DIANNA INMAN, are working on is going to help providers do just that. Their project, "The advantages and disadvantages of telepsychiatry as made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic," will explore how telepsychiatry has benefited patients, where it has failed, and why. "We hope to help providers throughout the world with a blueprint to determine if telepsychiatry is appropriate for a patient and how to set both patients and providers up for success. Research has shown a lack of evidence-based information regarding this subject, and we hope to help fill that gap," Thompson shares.

globally.

DIANNA INMAN, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Director, hosts the mini-series, "Calming the Chaos

Around Us: A Resource for Caregivers," where University of South Carolina professionals offer guidance and support for parents and caregivers.

Scan the QR code to learn more. →

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /15

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED A true Gamecock family, the Wythe's — David, Lynn, and their son, Stephen — have all attended the University of South Carolina.

Last winter, David and Lynn deepened their commitment to South Carolina by establishing the David and Lynn Wythe Nursing Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The Wythe family's story began when David, a business student, and Lynn, a nursing student, met during their junior year of college. The pair dated for about two years before happily marrying, shortly after they graduated. As alumni, they have been devoted fans of Gamecock sports, cheering from the stands for their favorite team and enjoying attending games with old college friends.

While deciding how to handle their estate, the couple completed an exercise listing their top priorities for what they wanted to support and how they wanted to be remembered.

The top three on their list: family, church, and the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. As a registered and practicing nurse for more than 40 years, Lynn is a passionate advocate of the nursing field.

TAKE A MOMENT AND IMAGINE OUR LIVES WITHOUT NURSES. WE ARE INTIMATELY CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES FROM BEFORE BIRTH TO THE END OF LIFE. Lynn Wythe

As parents, David and Lynn have always encouraged their son to “bloom wherever you are planted.” Through the David and Lynn Wythe Nursing Endowed Scholarship Fund, the Wythe's will be providing opportunities for nursing students to bloom for years to come. “We hope the recipients of the scholarship can focus on their dream of becoming a nurse and fulfill that dream with our help,” she shares.

As a two-time College of Nursing alumna, '81 BSN, and

'88 MSN, Lynn reflects fondly on her time as a student. When asked about her favorite memory from her undergraduate years, she says, “Oh, this is a fun one!” before answering: “The best moment was learning that I was moving into the upper division in the undergraduate program and then going

For more information on how you can support the College of Nursing, contact Monica Cromer, Senior Director of Development, at 803-777-3848 or monicam@mailbox.sc.edu.

shopping for my nursing ‘things’: my stethoscope, garnet-andwhite pinafores, and white nursing uniform. It was in that moment that I realized the career that I had dreamed of since I was a young girl was within my reach.”

16/COLLEGE OF NURSING

Or visit our giving website. →

LEAVING A

LEGACY

DONORS AND FRIENDS

Gary Lee, Bob Boone, Ginger Lee, and Richard Kennette at the college’s Celebrate Nursing Gala and Silent Auction.

G

ary Lee is a passionate advocate and generous donor to the College of Nursing, financially and with his time. Working closely with nurses inspired him and his family to give back to the nursing community.

During his 35+ year career in the medical supply industry, he observed nurses' crucial role in

A FAMILY AFFAIR

It was in his blood to become a Gamecock fan. His father went to

health care. "It has been my pleasure to work with nurses and provide them with creative solutions

the UofSC Law School

to enhance patient care. By supporting the College of Nursing financially, we hope to lead by

on the GI Bill, and his

example and inspire others to support future nurses for generations to come," Lee says.

mother was the head dietician at the VA Hospital in Columbia, SC. It was an exciting day for the Lee family when his mother was recognized as a faithful and proud Gamecock fan on

As a Dean's

the Carolina football field. Lee,

Executive Advisory

his wife Ginger, and his oldest

Committee member, he commends Dean Andrews for her esteemed leadership and visionary

daughter have all graduated from UofSC. His youngest daughter was recently accepted into the doctoral program at the UofSC College of Education.

The entire family has supported

guidance in steering

and attended various events for

the college to new heights. He is proud of the increasing caliber of faculty, the strengthening of

UofSC for over 60 years.

programs, and the growing culture of Gamecock Nursing Nation.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /17

In Memoriam

Gwendolyn McCarter Felton (1944 - 2020 )

Gwen Felton served as a faculty member at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing for 35 years and was the Community and Family Nursing Department chair.

During her time at the college, she helped create faculty practice plan partnerships and conducted specialized research in women’s health, community health, and physical activity in adolescents/ youth. She was a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Society and served as their faculty advisor. She was a graduate of the Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship Program ('97), a Fellow in The American Academy of Nursing, and the 1994 UofSC Nursing Outstanding Alumni Award Recipient (BSN '67). She received the 2001 Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Researcher of the Year Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the 2003 UofSC Nursing Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. The Dr. Gwen McCarter Felton Nursing Research Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in her honor by Dr. Julianne Ossege.

Felton (left) at the college's Open House & Southern Soiree.

Donna Jean Moss (192 9 - 2021)

Donna Moss served as a faculty member at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing from 1966-1990 and chaired the college’s Associate Degree Program (ADN) for 15 years. The ADN program made a strong contribution to the development of practicing nurses, many of whom continued their education in baccalaureate and master's programs at the College of Nursing and elsewhere.

When the program closed, more than 1,300 ADN students had graduated from UofSC Nursing and were serving the nursing-care needs of the citizens of South Carolina and beyond. She was a member of the American Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing.

She established the Donna Moss Scholarship Fund, awarded to a worthy junior or senior undergraduate nursing student each year.

Moss (right) at the college's Scholar/Donor Luncheon.

ALUMNI COUNCIL

ALUMNI

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing Alumni Council members serve as advocates who encourage and maintain a relationship between alumni and the college.

They advise the college on alumni programming, promote and

LIFELONG BONDS

The class of 1971 celebrated its 50th class reunion during a

cultivate leadership and support, and advocate for the needs and

luncheon at the Palmetto Club in Columbia, SC. Alumni traveled

concerns of alumni.

near and far (SC, NC, FL, VA, NY, CA) to reunite and commemorate their time at the College of Nursing.

The reunion initially started as a small gathering with a few

Alumni Council President LAN NGUYEN,

friends but quickly became an organized class reunion as more

'09 BSN and current Ph.D. student,

classmates heard about the get-together. GAIL STURTEVANT, a retired

is the Nurse Manager of Nursing

Executive Director of Nursing for Wake Med Cary Hospital,

Innovation at Prisma Health. In

organized the reunion with her classmate, LIBBY HONEYCUTT GETZ .

addition, she has held a Progressive

The women reached out to the Class of '71 and invited them to

Care Certified Nurse certification

celebrate their class and enjoy fellowship. "We had a wonderful

since 2011, transitioning to a Progressive

time reconnecting, a lot of laughter, and sharing memories," says

Care Certified Nurse – Knowledge certification in 2017. Lan is a

Sturtevant. She spoke about how nursing school forms lifelong

founding member of the UofSC Nursing Alumni Council.

bonds and friendships.

I STAY INVOLVED, SO I CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE COLLEGE IN OUR ENDEAVORS TO CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, SUPPORT OUR ALUMNI, AND PREPARE OUR FUTURE NURSES. Lan Nguyen, Alumni Council President

MEMBERS

Frances Ashe-Goins ‘70 ADN, ‘75 BSN Jessica Atkinson ‘09 BSN, ‘18 MSN Allison Auld ‘14 BSN Celena Bearden ‘01 BSN Lauren Booth ‘16 MSN Lauren Boykin ‘12 BSN, ‘17 MSN Angela Bruccoli ‘94 BSN Stephanie Burgess ‘75 BSN, ‘83 MSN, ‘03 Ph.D. Roxie Chisholm ‘99 BSN Jeanne Felder ‘76 ADN, ‘88 BSN Anne Gilkey ‘06 BSN, ‘12 MSN Paula Guild ‘82 BSN, ‘89 MSN Barbara Hall ‘06 BSN, ‘08 MSN Lisa James ‘17 DNP Katherine Koss ‘16 BSN Shir’Mel McCullough ‘18 BSN, current DNP student Betsy McDowell ‘71 BSN, ‘97 Ph.D. Tammy Quarles ‘79 BSN BJ Roof ‘69 ADN, ‘77 BSN, ‘82 MSN *past council president Belinda Rutledge ‘73 BSN, ‘78 MSN Charlie Tupper ‘79 BSN Vanetta White ‘88 BSN Kameka Wright ‘04 BSN

“Even if you haven’t seen a classmate in years, you immediately pick right back up over shared memories and experiences.”

Gail Sturtevant

The class spent the luncheon reminiscing and laughing about the fear of starting fundamentals, the uniforms and nursing caps they wore, and favorite faculty. The group is already working on a reunion for 2022 and hopes to have even larger participation.

ALUMNI CONNECT The class of 1971 meets the class of 2022. Pamela Smith Kitson and Helaine Kass Shimel stopped by the college and spent time with current students.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /19

Olive Mae Murray visits Ivy Health Solutions for a checkup.

T

COMMUNITY PRACTICE This summer, SHEILA BELTON-GAYMON, '90 BSN, '95 MSN, and SANDRA RANDOLPH, '92 MSN, '95 CGS, '19 DNP, opened their women-led Primary Care Clinic, Ivy Health Solutions. The two nurse practitioners co-founded the clinic on North Main Street in Columbia, SC, to help provide health care access to underserved surrounding communities. With over 20 years of experience as advanced practice nurses, their clinical backgrounds include family, pediatric, mental health, urgent care, substance addiction, and occupational health practice settings.

They opened Ivy Health solutions because most of their careers have involved caring for medically underrepresented, underserved populations. Knowing that access to care is an important indicator of ensuring overall health, they want to improve access to care in underserved areas.

The mission of Ivy Health Solutions, LLC is to promote the health and well-being of the local population by providing convenient, accessible, high-quality, affordable health care to patients five years of age and older. Their vision is to become a solution to the community's health care needs by becoming a vital component of their patient's health care team. Ivy Health Solutions, LLC is committed to providing exceptional services and implementing strategies to improve the health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

We wish Ivy Health Solutions the best of luck and support to our alumni as they provide access to health care in the local community.

20/COLLEGE OF NURSING

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

NATHAN ARANAS, '09 BSN, attended the “America’s Back Together” Fourth of July BBQ on the South Lawn of the White House, hosted

by The President and Dr. Biden. The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Emergency Department staff were offered a select number of tickets via the White House liaison groups at WRNMMC. Aranas shared that President Biden’s speech specifically thanked the multitudes of health care workers in the crowd.

CURISA TUCKER, '21 Ph.D., is joining the Stanford University School of Medicine as a Postdoctoral Fellow. She will continue her research in maternal health disparities.

MARGOT SHANAHAN, '21 BSN, and LAUREN NAPOLITANO, '20 BSN, share their love for the Gamecocks working on the Heart and Vascular Unit at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut. Shanahan shares, "As a new graduate, it is comforting to have a fellow Gamecock nurse on my unit with me. Despite not knowing each other in school, we became instant friends. Go Gamecocks!"

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA /21

BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH NURSING Alumna Elected Richland County Coroner It is not so much

who had a background in law enforcement, Naida came to the

that Richland

position via a medical route.

County’s

Among other degrees, she has a master’s in nursing and has worked

newly elected

in a variety of care settings, the most recent being a correctional

coroner NAIDA RUTHERFORD, '12 BSN, '15 MSN, can’t

facility. She’s making her mark on Columbia, but it’s only by chance

be stopped, but

describes her childhood as a survival of the fittest. “The area I grew

that she won’t be

up in wasn’t good, it was poor, and they didn’t really check on us

stopped. Playing

to see what was going on at home. For the longest time, I thought

the underdog

that I would get out of the situation and that someone would come

is a role this

for me,” she says. When that didn’t happen, she found an outlet in

way maker got

school sports and a much-needed sense of acceptance with her

comfortable with

coaches and teammates. Two days after graduating high school, she

decades ago – a

found herself homeless when her most recent foster mother kicked

side effect from a childhood fraught with obstacles. Now, thanks to

that she found herself here to begin with.

Rutherford grew up in Miami, Florida’s foster care system and

her out with no warning. With the future looming uncertain,

an influential social media presence and her ever

she couch-hopped with friends

growing IRL footprint, Rutherford’s successes

for the next few weeks. Fate

have become larger beacons of hope for those

extended an olive branch at last

who see parts of themselves in her story.

Elected Official. Nurse Practitioner. Founder of a Non-Profit. Social Media Influencer. Boutique Owner. Mother. How does she pull it off (and seem so put-together in the process)? You may have heard of Robin Sharma’s infamous 5:00 a.m.

I AM GOING TO ACCOMPLISH MY PERSONAL GOALS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO. I SET A GOAL AND GO AFTER IT. BUT MY BIGGER GOALS AND VISION ARE COMMUNITY DRIVEN. Naida Rutherford

when she met former Benedict College track and field coach, Arthur Davis. She had visited the campus with a friend who was auditioning for the track team and the friend’s mother

wake-up club. Well, she is in the 3:00 a.m. club.

shared bits of her story with

Unapologetically ambitious? Yes.

Davis. He took an interest in

Rutherford reports having been a morning

her and offered her a chance at

person since college. She ran track on full scholarship at Benedict

her future. After trying out for the team, she secured a full athletic

College where morning practices began at 4:00 a.m. “Five hours of

scholarship and by the end of her freshman year had also secured

sleep and I’m good,” she says. “On a typical day, I wake up around

enough academic scholarship money to cover her tuition if she

3:30 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. and start my day with meditation or prayer,

could not run track. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in

depending on what’s going on. But my routine always starts with

biology four years later and the rest is history in the making. Her

morning gratitude. Then I will do some work. I tend to do my best

vision for the future is about community.

work in the wee hours of the morning when my mind is clear. I can

“I am going to accomplish my personal goals because that’s what

even wake up at 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. and get my things done, then

I do. I set a goal and go after it. But my bigger goals and vision are

go back to sleep.”

community driven,” she shares. Specific aims include assisting

She was elected to the coroner's office in 2020 after defeating 20-

in implementing programs in lower income areas that provide a

year incumbent Gary Watts in the Democratic primary and ran

pipeline to education. “Poverty is a crippling hurdle that people

unopposed by a Republican candidate in the general election that

often can’t get over. For kids who come from areas like me, I want

followed. She describes the coroner’s role as: “The elected official

to teach them how to monetize their talents,” she says. Her non-

responsible for helping to determine the manner of death and the

profit organization, The Styled by Naida Foundation provides

cause of death. The cause is the medical reason someone died.

apparel and toiletries to individuals in need on the first Saturday of

Manner speaks to whether the death was a suicide, a homicide,

each month. The foundation also gives free items to foster children,

natural, undetermined, or an accident.” Unlike her predecessor,

DSS, and other non-profits.

22/COLLEGE OF NURSING

by Katie Gantt for Columbia Living Magazine

ALUMNI AWARD

2020 RECIPIENTS OUTSTANDING NURSE ALUMNA

OUTSTANDING YOUNG NURSE ALUMNUS JUSTIN CHAVIS, '14 BSN, exemplifies the Gamecock nursing spirit

AMELIA JOSEPH, '13 Ph.D., has dedicated over 40 years to nursing in various settings

through leadership, service, excellence, and caring across every situation. During his time at the college, Chavis was an

ranging from bedside

excellent student and a

clinical nursing, nurse

leader in two student

manager, nurse recruiter,

nursing organizations

quality manager,

with school and state-

nurse administrator,

level positions. Chavis

nurse educator, and chief

is an active member of

administrator. She is a highly respected and nationally

the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the

recognized leader in federal nursing practice and retired from

New Hampshire Association

a career at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Not finished after

of Nurse Anesthetists, and the

one career, Dr. Joseph developed a new BSN degree program

AACN. He recently served as a student representative for the state

for The Citadel in Charleston, SC. Her efforts included building

advanced practice convention for the Tennessee Association of

the philosophical framework, curriculum, course development,

Nurse Anesthetists and received the 2020 Outstanding Graduate

faculty position descriptions, student resources, budget, and

Nurse Anesthetist Award from the University of Tennessee at

program evaluation. Dr. Joseph continues to excel at preparing the

Chattanooga. Since graduating from UofSC Nursing, Chavis’

next generation of nurses.

contributions and excellence toward nursing have only continued to grow.

SIP AND SOCIALIZE

We celebrated our 2020 alumni award winners with a virtual award ceremony followed by an alumni wine class. Dr. Sandy Strick from the University of South Carolina School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management taught the zoom wine class. Alumni enjoyed the opportunity to engage with each other while learning about spring wines.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND CONNECT WITH US. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU↓

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 23

BREATHING NEW LIFE Karen McDonnell helps survivors enjoy life

N

Nine months ago, “Big John” CHARLES MORRIS

The difference for Morris has been striking.

puttered around in worn flip-flops and a

Taking part in the study has improved his

cumbersome back brace.

physical health and his overall outlook on life.

Tying shoes left the survivor of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) out of breath.

Besides, he could not find comfortable shoes for his large size 16 feet, even when he spent hundreds of dollars on special shoes designed for people with diabetes.

Now, the power walker strides around

“This program has helped me to see the beauty in the world,” he explains.

BUILDING A LIFE BEYOND SURVIVAL According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, about 235,000 Americans are

Sumter in crisp New Balance sneakers and

diagnosed each year with non-small cell lung

custom-fit insoles, averaging 6 to 8 miles

cancer, which accounts for nearly 85 percent of

per day, no back brace needed.

all lung cancer diagnoses. With treatment advances, almost 25 percent survive five years

He credits the changes to participating

after diagnosis, including Morris.

in clinical trials, most recently a 12-week,

But Dr. McDonnell says it can be difficult to transition from cancer patient — focused on

26-person pilot research study led by Associate Professor KAREN McDONNELL.* Dr. McDonnell’s study tested a homebased symptom management program

preventing death — to cancer survivor — focused on managing treatment side effects and learning to live again.

Morris’s chemotherapy caused tooth loss and nerve damage in his feet. When he hesitated

that included walking, meditating, and

to set walking goals because of his foot and shoe problems, Dr. McDonnell immediately

breathing exercises to help survivors of

connected him with a specialty store to be properly fitted for insoles and shoes. She

NSCLC better manage symptoms and

also recommended an inexpensive over-the-counter ointment for his cracked feet and

improve their quality of life.

connected him to a lung specialist who has helped improve his sleep.

She designed the study to build on her previous research and collaborated with Dean JEANNETTE ANDREWS and Associate Dean for Research, BERNARDINE PINTO, a renowned expert in developing exercise programs for breast cancer survivors.

Study participants received a manual with detailed information about the breathing exercises and meditations and daily text messages. They also completed a daily activity log, set goals, and talked weekly by phone with a research team member.

IT'S HARD TO DO MUCH WHEN YOU'RE IN PAIN OR YOU CAN'T WALK. THE SIMPLEST STRATEGIES CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. WHEN YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE IN CLINICAL TRIALS, YOU REALLY HELP THEM. Karen McDonnell

24/COLLEGE OF NURSING

“She just always went the extra mile for me,” Morris says.

FACULTY

“She’s like an angel.”

Dr. McDonnell enjoys linking survivors with resources and seeing the positive changes that result. She feels it would be unethical to enroll survivors in studies focusing on physical activity without directing them to resources to help them participate safely.

KATHLEEN BRADSHAW has been selected for the 2021 Class of Fellows of the National

FORGING NEW HABITS TOGETHER Dr. McDonnell says lung cancer survivors often feel isolated and stigmatized because the disease is strongly associated with smoking. To strengthen survivors' social connections, she designs and tests partner-based programs.

League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education. Dr. Bradshaw is a Professor and Executive Academic Strategist, and the Interim Director of the college's new Nursing Education

Each survivor must recruit an adult family member or friend

Program. Dr. Bradshaw says, "I am looking forward to ongoing

to join the study. Partners encourage and challenge each

participation with the National League of Nursing's efforts to

other throughout the 12 weeks, which helps new behaviors

advance nursing education significantly. We must help prepare

take root and become shared habits.

and support nursing faculty who are responsible for preparing the

HOWARD HELMLY jumped at the chance to help Morris, a

next generation of nurses for our society."

lifelong friend he saw struggling to manage post-treatment complications and juggling caregiving duties for two elderly parents. But Helmly was shocked when he realized how little he himself moved, some days only a few hundred steps.

He now takes daily walks through his neighborhood, which he credits with loosening his stiff joints and reducing his rheumatoid arthritis attacks. He also has a renewed focus on improving his health and well-being.

The partner perks do not surprise Dr. McDonnell. She finds partners often have health challenges because health

JOY DEUPREE has been selected for the 2021 Class of Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. She will be inducted at the AAN’s Policy Conference in October. Dr. Deupree is a Professor, the Associate Dean for Practice Innovation, Partnerships

behaviors tend to be connected within family and social

and Policy, and Co-Director of the SC Center for Nursing Leadership.

groups. “Everyone can benefit from physical activity and

Dr. Deupree says, “To be inducted as a Fellow into the American

stress management,” she says.

Academy of Nursing is a humbling and exciting honor. The Academy's

The next steps for Dr. McDonnell and her research team are

mission is to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting

to analyze the study data and modify the program based

policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science. I look

on those findings and participant feedback. She will then

forward to working with other nurse leaders globally to advance the

expand the study to a larger group starting in 2022.

mission of the Academy and continue my work in the field of health literacy to advance the science and practice of clear communication.”

* Dr. McDonnell is supported by the American Cancer Society under Award MRSG-17-152-01 and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.

Read on our website

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 25

RESEARCH ROLE MODEL

Breakthrough Leader: Bernardine Pinto

"When I read the feedback from participants at the end of a study, we are looking at not only what we have done, but what the study meant to the patients, to their lives and well-being, and their family’s well-being. To me, that is the most important thing."

BERNARDINE PINTO

B

ernardine Pinto’s research is well documented. A

strength of her scientific work. She enhances the mission of the

Professor in the College of Nursing since 2014, and the

college and the university and has made significant contributions

college’s Associate Dean for Research, she has built an

that reflect favorably on the university’s reputation,” says Andrews.

international reputation for her work studying and promoting the

But when it comes to leadership, Dr. Pinto’s biggest impact might

effects of exercise on the health and well-being of cancer survivors,

come in the form of her mentorship, which to her mind is almost as

boosting the college’s reputation in the process. To date, she has

important as the work she does with cancer survivors themselves.

published more than 100 articles in the leading journals in her field

From Honors College undergraduates, graduate students, and

and delivered more than 150 presentations. Her cross-sectional,

postdocs working on her grant-funded projects to promising

longitudinal assessment studies and intervention trials have

young faculty at the College of Nursing, Dr. Pinto puts in plenty of

meanwhile generated millions of dollars in grant funding from

hours helping the next generation of nursing scientists. “Over time,

the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the

they are the ones who are going to be developing and leading the

National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung and Blood

science,” she says.

Institute, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Along with an eagerness to team up with Dean Andrews and

“Dr. Pinto exemplifies precisely what is needed to role model and

support the then-new dean’s research vision, it’s one of the

increase our research and grant productivity,” says Dean JEANNETTE

principal reasons Dr. Pinto came to the University of South

ANDREWS, who recruited Pinto from the Alpert School of Medicine

Carolina in the first place. “I didn’t want to abandon my own

at Brown University seven years ago and has watched her blaze a

research, but I wanted to grow my own skills and contributions,”

wide path ever since. “I value her leadership, her innovative

she says. “That’s where the mentorship of faculty, as well as

thinking to foster research at the College of Nursing and the

students comes in.”

26/COLLEGE OF NURSING

That work has taken many forms. To expose faculty and students to cutting edge methodology in science, she regularly invites experts from around the country to present workshops. Within the

A LEADER WITHIN

Upon completing the Center for Nursing Leadership's program, the

college, she hosts a research forum series and meet-and-greets for

AMY V. COCKCROFT LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP, fellows are equipped with

clinical faculty to engage with research faculty. “You know, these

proven skills, strategies, and techniques for success as health care

silos — ‘I’m research, you’re clinical’— I don’t believe in that,” she

leaders. The faculty members are nationally known leaders in

says. “I believe that everybody has strengths that they can bring to

nursing, health care, and public policy. To put skills into practice, each

the table.”

fellow develops and implements an impact project.

Dr. Pinto also hosts meet-and-greets between the College of Nursing and other university units, such as the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Information Science. “Our faculty usually partner with other nursing faculty, with public health, pharmacy, social work, and medicine. They don’t usually work with these non-traditional partners,” she says.

ROBIN DAWSON and ALLISON JAMISON-HAGGWOOD focused their Cockcroft project on COVID-19 problem-solving. Having backgrounds in community health, they took the opportunity to promote vaccine education in communities with general vaccine hesitancy and accessibility. “We chose to focus

“But for science to progress, you need to have interdisciplinary

our efforts on Lancaster and

work, you need to build upon the strengths and training that other

Orangeburg counties. Our goal

disciplines offer.”

was to increase availability to

Dr. Pinto speaks from experience and leads by example. A clinical

appropriate vaccine education

psychologist by training, she tracks her patients’ lives throughout

and accessibility for these

each study. While her expanded research agenda and leadership

communities,” says Dr. Dawson.

role may have reduced face-to-face patient contact, she meets with

The pair leveraged their existing

her staff weekly to discuss their study participants’ progress in

relationships with community

becoming and staying physically active as well as their emotional well-being. “When I read the feedback from participants at the end of a study, we are looking at not only what we have done, but what the study meant to the patients, to their lives and well-being,

organizations to implement their project, which has included two events. In response to the rapidly increasing cases caused by the COVID-19 delta variant, their

and their family’s well-being,” she says. “To me, that is the most

next event is in the planning stages with the Lancaster County Health

important thing. If we don’t also have that positive impact on a

and Wellness Commission.

person’s life, then I don’t know whether I would be as keen on it.”

She wants her colleagues and staff to develop a similar keenness.

Recently, she even put together and distributed a Shutterfly book of patient testimonials as a way to remind everyone that their work has real-world meaning.

“Out of the study that just ended, I put together testimonials from our participants which I give to all of my staff,” she says. “Because sometimes you work and you think, ‘Have I really helped people?’

I pulled together this book so that they can open it and say, ‘Yes, I collected data. Yes, I worked on this study. But I also helped people.’ That’s what this is really all about.”

“THE COCKCROFT PROGRAM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US DISCOVER OUR LEADERSHIP STYLES, HOW TO USE OUR STRENGTHS, AND HOW TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES. PARTNERING WITH COMPLEMENTARY LEADERS, WORKING WITH RESPECTED COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND BEING FLEXIBLE ENHANCED OUR PROJECT'S SUCCESS."

Robin Dawson, Cockcroft Fellow 2020-2021 Read on our website

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 27

RURAL HEALTH

RENEGADE D

emetrius Abshire has made plenty of hay in the field of rural health research in the four years since he joined the UofSC Nursing faculty.

The Assistant Professor was selected for the National

Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Fellows Program for 2019 and authored or co-authored 15 articles for highimpact journals in 2020 alone. The focus of his K23 career development grant from the National Institutes of Health addresses obesity among African American men in the rural South, an often neglected population that experiences multiple health disparities linked to obesity.

"He has also mentored multiple undergraduate and graduate students on research addressing obesity, behavior change, and rural health disparities,” Dean Andrews says. “Two of his undergraduate mentees have received Magellan Apprentice awards to work with him on his research.”

Very little has been done to address obesity in rural areas, and the programs that have been implemented have focused exclusively or mainly on women. We saw

Rural health isn’t an abstract concept for Dr. Abshire, who grew up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, a region with some of the nation’s worst health disparities. With its 46 counties containing at

that as a huge need to learn how we can do a better job

least pockets if not large expanses of underserved residents, South

at engaging men in addressing obesity and preventing

Carolina presented a broad opportunity for Dr. Abshire to apply his

chronic diseases.

research.

DEMETRIUS ABSHIRE

“Plenty of my colleagues here share similar interests in rural health issues and rural health research,” he says. “South Carolina was a good fit for me, especially from a research connectedness

Dr. Abshire was the lead author on a policy paper about the

perspective.”

state of science on rural obesity and policies that might help

In the classroom, Dr. Abshire is a big believer in making the

address rural-urban obesity disparities.

content clearly relevant. “The students need to see how the content

"Dr. Abshire is using his NIH-funded research grant to

will play out in their careers, and that’s challenging in a lower-

advance not only his own research but also to mentor

division, introduction to nursing course that students have a hard

non-research faculty in conducting research with human

time getting excited about,” he says. “So I try to make clinical

subjects," says Dean JEANNETTE ANDREWS.

connections and talk about scenarios that really challenge them to consider how they might use some of the content from the class in their own practice when they graduate two or three years down

28/COLLEGE OF NURSING

the road.”

HEALTH CARE OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL CYNTHIA CORBETT and the Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation team (ACORN) are partnering with the Prisma Health PACE program to study the impact of virtual home assistants (Amazon's Alexa) on elderly adults. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides community-based comprehensive medical and social services to vulnerable adults. The long-term goal of the program is to assist adults with aging in place within the community. "Health care is moving more out of the hospital and out into the community. The main priority of ours is to stay connected with our patients," says Dr. Michael Parmer, Medical Director of PACE. "Dr. Corbett's team is researching and testing technologies that are simple for patients to use but provide a significant impact on quality of life," he continues. Participants in the study receive an Echo Show and Echo Dot (i.e., "Alexa") free of cost and seven home visits to train them to do various activities on the device. "The current study is a proof-of-concept study, and the participants seem to like the technology.

In future studies, we will test whether people's activities with the technology can promote their mental, cognitive, and functional health to promote their abilities to age in place," explains Dr. Corbett.

AUDREY, a 61-year-old PACE patient, says the PACE program helps take care of everything she needs to stay healthy such as taking her to doctor's appointments and making sure she has medications. She has also made a lot of friends. Audrey shares, "I really like having Alexa in my home! I use her to listen to my favorite music. The alarms help me stay on track, and the games are fun too."

Dr. Corbett's assistant, LIZZY COMBS, showed her how to use Alexa to make lists and keep track of her groceries. She also showed her how to play memory games as Audrey has trouble with her memory. "When Lizzy comes for my Alexa lessons, we play games together," smiles Audrey.

Read on our website UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 29

JOURNEY TO A NEW NORMAL

Karen Worthy shares her experience with SJS/TEN Last winter, KAREN

diagnosis proved to be a crucial step in prescribing the proper

WORTHY, Assistant Dean

treatment as quickly as possible. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)

for Undergraduate

and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare diseases, affecting

Studies, thought she had

1 to 2 per million people each year. SJS/TEN are degenerative skin

the flu. Fever, cough,

disorders characterized by severe inflammation, redness, and skin

and muscle aches were

shedding or sloughing. These diseases are similar, normally only

all symptoms she

differentiating in the percentage of the total body surface area

experienced with the flu

affected, with SJS involving less than 10% and TEN more than 30%.

the previous year, except

However, some cross-over between 10-30% can be diagnosed as

this was very different.

either SJS or TEN. Both usually occur as a reaction to a “trigger,”

As the day progressed,

the most common triggers being medications, such as sulfur or

she began having other

seizure medications. However, in Dr. Worthy’s case, neither of

worrying signs that

those medications were the culprit. They can only guess at the

indicated not only a

cause now, but it could have been something as simple as a pain

possible illness but a

reliever and fever reducer she had taken just two days before her

medical emergency.

hospitalization. While this may or may not have been Dr. Worthy’s

During her assessment

trigger, every patient is different, and all experiences with SJS/TEN

with a nurse practitioner

are unique with variations in severity, complexity, and recovery.

at a local clinic, she presented with a fever of 104°F, and her face was beginning to swell. An emergency was unfolding, and time could be the difference between life

These skin disorders leave patients susceptible to infection, multiorgan system failure, and other severe complications, which is why individuals affected by SJS or TEN should be treated at a multidisciplinary burn center. Dr. Worthy was immediately transferred to the Joseph M. Still Burn

and death.

Center at Doctors Hospital in

Dr. Worthy was transported by

Augusta, GA.

ambulance to a local hospital,

"Medical Director, Dr. Fred

where her condition deteriorated

Mullins, was the first person

rapidly. Her face was becoming more edematous (swollen), and her lips and skin began to blister. Due to the risk for airway closure, she was also facing the likelihood of intubation. Yet, as they worked on emergency treatment options, there was one thing she and her health care team had yet to figure out: What exactly were they treating?

I talked to when I arrived at the Burn Center," said Dr. Worthy's daughter, Dr. Ja'Pel Sumpter, a gynecologist in North Carolina. "He brought me into a room and told me the prognosis and exactly what to expect. He was amazing, and any time I had questions, he was always more than willing to discuss them. You could tell from his humble disposition and compassion he was made for this job. There aren't many people

“The doctors did not immediately recognize what the medical

who can build such a rapport the way he could with his patients

condition was but knew it was atypical and life-threatening.

and their families. My mother always said, 'In life, but especially

They quickly formed an interdisciplinary team including

in health care, people don't care how much you know until they

specialists from Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine,

know how much you care.' He got me through the initial shock of

Dermatology, and Internal Medicine to care for me and my rare

everything," she shares.

condition,” Dr. Worthy says. Ultimately, it was the dermatologist who diagnosed her condition as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The

30/COLLEGE OF NURSING

Dr. Sumpter had never been to Augusta and only had an overnight bag. She was alone in a strange city, and after getting her mother

admitted, by the time she left the Burn Center to look for a place to

Because of her nursing background, knowledge, and skills, she

stay, it was 3:00 a.m. That is when the Burn Foundation of America

knew the importance of ambulation as foundational for beginning

intervened. They offered her a room in the Chavis House across

her recovery process.

the street from the hospital, which offers free lodging and daily meals for family members and loved ones of patients in the Burn Center during the extent of their stay and

No matter the trials, Dr. Worthy is steadfast in her faith in God, her love of family and friends, her positive spirit, and her nurse’s intuition. She feels it was the process

recovery period.

she had to go through, and nothing

"The Chavis House was an amazing

could stop or alter that process.

resource to have for people like myself

“Through God’s unwavering grace,

who have no local family and are

the prayers and love of my family and

there alone. I quickly started building

friends, and the skill and knowledge

relationships with the other family

of my medical team, today my skin

members. We stayed in the house

has regenerated, my vision is 20/20

together, prayed together, and we would check on each other daily to make sure

without corrective lenses, and I walk

everyone was okay. We became each

over a mile a day. I do not take credit

other's support system. It was a very

for my progress—I give all the glory to

trying time, but it also rebuilt my faith in

My God Almighty,” she says.

humanity," says Dr. Sumpter.

To this day, her providers still do not know what caused her condition. Dr.

Dr. Worthy and her daughter were in

Worthy shares, "I've had people ask,

Augusta for a month, and Dr. Worthy experienced extensive physical and medical changes. Her outward appearance and her overall health changed as SJS/TEN ran its course. "SJS/TEN causes the body to go through a complete regeneration, and you can't stop that process. My skin sloughed off

'Well, you must have asked God a million times why you?' Never. Not once did I ever ask God, 'Why me?' I asked Him, 'Why not me?' I know everything happens for a reason, and this challenge only strengthened my faith in God."

on several body areas, and I had to have two skin graft surgeries.

Last year seems like ages ago now that Dr. Worthy has resumed

My nails fell off, and I became legally blind in my right eye. I was

her role at the college. As a nurse and a professor educating future

intubated and on the ventilator for approximately two weeks to

nurses, she feels she is in the right place and profession. She is so

protect my airway," she says.

In addition, her shoulder-length hair had to be shaved in the process. Her skin both looked and felt different, with a new sensitivity to direct sunlight and her eyesight deteriorated. But none of that mattered to her. She saw a different person on the outside when she looked in the mirror but knew what made her who she was and what she stood for remained the same. She was grateful and appreciative of every day.

"I know who I am, and I know the journey I have traveled. These physical aesthetics are not important to me. My family and I will move forward from today. Every day is like the first day of the rest of my life. It's all a blessing; I am blessed!" shares Dr. Worthy.

proud and thankful for all the nurses who were and still are a part of her SJS/TEN journey.

Dr. Worthy says, “I would not have chosen a different profession.

Nursing is embedded in the core of my heart and soul. I am passionate about nursing, education, and my students as we educate future nurse leaders, stewards of the community, and future researchers. We are phenomenal providers and a vital part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. My family and I could not have asked for a better experience during such an unexpected, vulnerable time. As nurses, their compassionate prayers along with genuine acts of kindness and caring enhanced a positive outcome.

We are the heart of health care!”

Dr. Sumpter says that her mother was a trooper and very motivated Once she was extubated, they got her out of bed that same day.

Adapted from the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America Patient Stories

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 31

DATA-DRIVEN

PHYLLIS RAYNOR received a K23 Career

WELCOME NEW FACULTY

Development Award by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her research, Parents Adopting Recovery Management through New Technology for Self-Care and Support (for Mothers) Project (P.A.R.E.N.T.S.S.).

Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, she will partner with a community advisory board to

NAKITA BARNES Assistant Professor, Clinical

develop a customized digital intervention and determine its feasibility and preliminary effects in supporting women with Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) during the pregnancy and postpartum period.

This career development award will provide Dr. Raynor the mentoring and training needed to develop knowledge and skills in rural health disparities, CBPR methods, digital intervention development and program evaluation, population health interventions, and advanced research training.

Dr. Raynor shares, “FOR THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION, IT IS HARD TO RETAIN

RACHEL BUSH Assistant Professor, Clinical

ONGOING TREATMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES, ESPECIALLY ONCE THEY TRANSITION BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES. WITH THIS RESEARCH, WE HOPE TO UNDERSTAND SUCCESSFUL WAYS TO SUPPORT POSITIVE PARENTING AND ONGOING RECOVERY EFFORTS. THIS CRITICAL WORK ULTIMATELY FACILITATES POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY."

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded $1.75 million to the UofSC Big Data

KAYLA EVERHART Assistant Professor, Research

Health Science Center to train junior faculty to conduct infectious disease research using vast amounts of data.

SARA DONEVANT has been chosen as 1 of 6 for the Big Data Fellows program.

She will be using big data to learn more about the long-term COVID-19.

COLETTE TOWNSEND-CHAMBERS 32/COLLEGE OF NURSING

Associate Professor, Clinical

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS SHERYL MITCHELL is the new

ALICIA RIBAR is the new

Assistant

Associate

Dean for

Dean for

Graduate Studies.

CHERYL NELSON

Academic Affairs.

Associate Dean for Practice Innovation, Partnerships and Policy, JOY DEUPREE, and Director of Clinical Partnerships, JEANNE CAVANAUGH, have been Associate Dean for Research,

named Co-Directors of the SC Center for Nursing

BERNARDINE PINTO, and Associate

Leadership.

Professor, KAREN McDONNELL, have been named Co-Directors of the Cancer Survivorship Center.

JOIN

OUR TEAM

At the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, we provide a progressive research environment committed to scholarly excellence.

We are searching for talented leaders to join our expanding team.

is the new Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME

Summer Externships

Externships provide great experiences and insights for nursing students. They let nursing students practice basic skills while being a part of the interdisciplinary team caring for patients.

1

During their externships, students live the day-to-day flow of the hospital. When students are in clinical experiences, their focus is on their assigned patients, and they may not be able to see the 'big picture' of how nurses are patient care managers.

SUZANNE SUTTON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

2

4

3

7

6

5

8

1. Julia Adams, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, Clinical Assistant Program 2. Kelly Keough, Roper Hospital in Charleston, SC, Intermediate Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery 3. Mary Beth Payne, The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, Cardiovascular ICU 4. Alexandria Pidcock, Prisma Health Richland in Columbia, SC, Surgical Trauma 5. Tina Sorensen, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, Cardiac PCU 6. Sarah Willard, Lexington Medical Center in Lexington, SC, Surgical Step-Down Unit 7. Abigail Kuehl, Prisma Heart Hospital in Columbia, SC, Hartwell Suite 8. Rachel Noah, Duke University in Durham, NC, Surgical Unit 9. Victoria Marinoff, Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA, Post Op/Trauma Floor 34/COLLEGE OF NURSING

9

A BROAD MISSION In 2018, while at a freshmen Capstone luncheon, ANDREW CAMBRIA learned

STUDENTS A SMART START The Nursing Smart Start program, a partnership between the

about a service-learning medical

College of Nursing and the South Carolina Honors College,

mission trip led by former College

focuses on engaging the university's top nursing students in

of Nursing professor Patrick Hickey

research throughout their four years of nursing school.

each spring break for UofSC students.

He approached Dr. Hickey to learn more, and when spring break arrived,

Smart Start students can enroll in honors nursing courses specially designed for students in this elite nursing cohort.

Honors students complete

Cambria was off to Guatemala with a group of eager UofSC

a research project with a

students, ready to make a difference.

mentor as a graduation

"The first few days of the trip, we were all a little anxious

requirement.

working together and learning what we needed to do. By the end

Smart Start Nursing

of the trip, there was such a difference in our confidence and how

Program Director ROBIN

we interacted with each other in clinical.

DAWSON shares, "We started

We became so much more efficient as

the Smart Start program to

a team and in our skills," he shares.

allow our nursing freshmen

Cambria gained valuable hands-

to be connected to the

on medical experience working

College of Nursing early on

with injections, patient intake,

in lower division.”

and administering medication.

While she was in her

"Getting the opportunity to work in

honors nursing research methods class during her first year,

a clinical setting was amazing, but it was

Dr. Dawson helped GENNA RIVERS develop her research topic of

learning about the culture and the country's health care system

kangaroo care. Contrary to the name, this field of research isn't

that impacted me the most," says Cambria. "It changed my whole

actually about kangaroos. Instead, the research is focused on

outlook on health care and made me take a step back and process

the health benefits from the skin-to-skin contact of mothers

others' situations and how privileged I am," he continues.

holding their newborn infants to their chest. Eventually, Rivers

Now, as a junior, Cambria is looking forward to participating

hopes to create an educational program on kangaroo care for

in another spring break medical trip to rural Nicaragua (his

adolescent mothers so that her research can have a widespread

sophomore year trip was canceled due to COVID-19). This

positive influence. She is considering pursuing a master's or

year, he is the nursing student leader representative and is excited to mentor fellow nurses during the experience. "Before my first trip, I lived in a cultural bubble. I'm looking forward to taking a group of students to Nicaragua and seeing how the trip impacts them," Cambria says.

doctorate degree to further her research.

"The Smart Start Program helps our students prepare to be great nursing researchers, great nurse leaders, and great nursing professors much earlier in their careers."

Robin Dawson, Smart Start Nursing Program

Read on our website

Director UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 35

STUDENT STORYTELLING

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

This fall, the college launched a new student storytelling opportunity with

BSN students JON COOK ,

the CON Creators scholarship. Four undergraduate students were chosen to

SAVANNAH JONES, and RACHEL BARR are

represent their classmates and share their nursing journey through social and digital platforms. The students will share their experiences through Instagram

on the Dance

takeovers, blog posts, and photos. The CON Creators initiative provides

and Cheer

students, prospective students, and alumni opportunities to learn and watch

Teams. The

student experiences at the College of Nursing. Meet the inaugural group:

Carolina Girls Dance

ASHANTI SHEPARD, Freshman

Team placed

"I started following the college's Instagram in high

1st, and the

school when I was looking at different programs.

Cheer Team

Seeing what student life was like helped me choose

placed 4th at the

UofSC Nursing. I'm excited to help show prospective nursing students my journey as a freshman nursing major."

JULIA SHAFER, Sophomore

College Cheer and Dance National Championship last spring.

"I'm looking forward to showcasing life as a student and all of the opportunities inside and outside the college. I'm studying abroad this spring and can't wait to have students follow along with me via social media."

ELOR MAYAN, Junior

BSN student ETHAN

CALDERON is the President of the Filipino American

"I have always had a passion for helping other

Student

people. After having several hospital internships in

Association

Myrtle Beach, volunteering as a first responder, and

and a

teaching at DHEC, I learned that nursing is the best career to fulfill my passion for helping others."

SOPHIE GILLIAM, Senior

member of the Vietnamese Student Association.

"After graduation in May, I plan to move to Nashville to do a nursing residency program on either a trauma or labor and delivery floor. Then, I plan to be a travel nurse. During my time at UofSC, I've been a University Ambassador and have enjoyed sharing my nursing experiences with prospective students."

BSN Student

PALMER ROWEN is the Drum Major in the Carolina Band, the

GET SOCIAL WITH US! @UOFSCNURSING 36/COLLEGE OF NURSING

Mighty Sound of the Southeast.

F

BSN RANKS ON TOP

BSN Stethoscope Ceremony, May 2021

For the first time, U.S. News and World Report has published undergraduate nursing degree rankings for programs offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The University of South Carolina College of Nursing ranked 32nd among all public universities and 43rd nationally. To be included in the rankings, nursing schools needed to be accredited at the bachelor’s level by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The college also needed to be a regionally accredited institution that awarded at least 35 BSN degrees, according to 2018-2019 data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. U.S. News surveyed deans and senior faculty

“THE UOFSC COLLEGE OF NURSING IS EXCITED TO BE NAMED ONE OF THE TOP BSN PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, RANKING IN THE TOP 6 PERCENT OF ALL THE PROGRAMS. THIS INAUGURAL RANKING BY OUR NATIONAL PEERS IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FACULTY WHO ARE COMMITTED TO QUALITY IN EXCELLENCE IN ALL OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS." Dean Jeannette Andrews

members at 694 undergraduate BSN degree-granting nursing programs that met the above criteria.

The UofSC College of Nursing is in the Top 1 percent in the United States for NCLEX scores, with four consecutive cohorts achieving 100 percent pass rates in 2018-2019. The last three cohorts have achieved a 99 percent pass rate during the complexities and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, exceeding the national pass rate of 85-89 percent. “Our college is committed to quality and excellence as we educate the next generation of nurse professionals and scientists. This accolade speaks volumes for our worldrenowned faculty, staff, and our stellar students. Our students are more than great test-takers; they are excellent critical thinkers.

Our undergraduate program is robust, with a keen focus on critical thinking, clinical judgment, and deductive reasoning skills. As a result of these unique skill sets, our students can provide safe, competent care to complex, vulnerable populations with culturally diverse health care needs,” says KAREN WORTHY, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 37

UOFSCNURSING IS

#1

The University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing ranks No. 1 among all U.S. universities for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online rankings. The rankings also place the university No. 1 for its online nursing graduate program for veterans.

Online graduate programs are common in nursing because many students are already practicing in the field. UofSC Nursing's success in this area demonstrates its academic excellence and its commitment to providing flexible degree pathways.

Both online programs increased in ranking from last year’s No. 2 placements (#1 among public universities), demonstrating the university’s success in providing exceptional leadership in health science education. The rankings are a great achievement, especially given the category’s competitiveness.

“Most nursing graduate programs in the U.S. are online, making this competition (and success) even more important,” says Dean JEANNETTE ANDREWS. “We have a strong history of excellence, and the metrics used for this ranking showcase our faculty and student achievements, which includes our faculty credentials and training, IT and distributed learning support, and evidence-based teaching methods.”

UofSC Nursing has placed in the top 10 rankings for the past seven years, last ranking No. 1 in 2016. In 2020, new FNP and AGACNP graduates had 97-100 percent ANCC pass rates. Dr. Andrews attributes the College of Nursing’s stellar reputation as appealing to veterans interested in pursuing their graduate nursing degree online. “Our veterans want to attend a top-rated school with expert faculty who are engaged and committed to their success, and many choose us to pursue their graduate nursing education,” Dr. Andrews says.

In addition, U.S. News ranked specialty areas. Among those, the College of Nursing ranked No. 14 for Best Online Master's Nurse Practitioner (Family) and Best Online Master's Nurse Practitioner (Nursing Administration/Leadership).

Read on our website

A CONTINUED PASSION

VICTORIA YANDLE

When DNP student JANET KUBAS began

discovered her

her studies at UofSC Nursing, she

calling to be a

noticed no graduate nursing

nurse during an

association. One of her

extended hospital

professors suggested getting

stay as a child.

involved with the Graduate

At age 14, she

Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) through the American

fell off a horse

Association of Colleges of Nursing

and shattered her humerus

(AACN).

To connect with graduate nurses across the country, the GNSA has abundant resources for graduate nursing students. These include the Digital Innovators Program and holding national conferences which cover topics relevant to U.S health policy. They also host webinars on leadership development, salary negotiation, enhancing mentoring experiences, exploring the Doctor of Nursing Practice role, and many more. In addition, they offer scholarship opportunities for graduate and undergraduate nursing students.

bone, resulting in six weeks of traction. She was bound to her hospital bed, her arm suspended in the air by weights and elbow and shoulder held together with rods and pins. Bed baths and bathroom help were the new normal for her, forming close relationships with her nurses. "After my discharge from the hospital, I cried. I wanted to be just like them. The first step in my nursing

“AS THE GNSA LIAISON FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, I AM TASKED WITH INCREASING AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THIS NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE," SHARES KUBAS.

journey was becoming a candy striper, and the

Kubas feels it is essential as a student and a nurse to be involved

Coronary Care Unit. After 36 years of being a

with professional nursing associations because they provide a

nurse, she continues to find herself devoted to

frame of reference outside the usual practice environment.

nursing. To further her knowledge and follow

“Being a nurse requires life-long learning, and most professional nursing associations provide opportunities for continuing education. The AACN and GNSA provide opportunities to increase personal knowledge and leadership skills. Nurses are natural leaders in the performance of our role in delivering high-quality patient-centered care. We are leaders within the care team for patient care coordination. All nurses can obtain leadership development through national professional organization

rest is history," Yandle shares.

Upon graduation from the Orangeburg School of Nursing, she worked as a staff nurse in the

her passion, she enrolled in the DNP Nurse Executive Leadership program at UofSC Nursing.

"Caring for people in their most vulnerable time is one of the greatest gifts you can give to another person. It is the simple gesture of caring that makes a nurse stand out among any other medical profession," says Yandle.

participation, especially GNSA and AACN,” says Kubas.

Read on our website UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 39

KATE KOLUCH worked as a medical lab scientist in a blood bank before beginning the MEPN program. “I decided that nursing was the right fit for me after shadowing a few nurses and learning about the vast opportunities and career paths that are available for nurses.”

LATOYA STEWART is a Case Investigator for the Georgia Department of Public Health and works at Southstar Emergency Medical

A CAREER CHANGE

Services in various medical capacities. She

The college’s first Master’s Entry to Practice Nursing (MEPN) cohort began in Spring 2021. The MEPN program prepares non-nurse baccalaureateprepared individuals to enter the nursing profession as master’s degree

decided to become a nurse because she wants to be a changing force in the health care system and her community.

graduates. This unique program, the only one in South Carolina, provides

JOCELYN BENNETT is a

the opportunity to gain education and experience as a direct-care provider

Certified Sterile

of nursing in various settings. The students in this program come for

Processing Technician

different reasons and from a variety of backgrounds.

at Prisma-Baptist. Her inspiration is her dad,

DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT

an RN for 37 years, and she was motivated by

MEPN Program Director Eboni Harris, '17 Ph.D., feels it was important to have professors willing to let her make mistakes – not fatal errors, but errors that shed light on areas that needed improving. When she started teaching, she wanted to offer her students the same friendly learning environment. Dr. Harris is the recipient of the University's 2021 Clinical Teaching Award and is passionate about student success and mentoring student leaders.

the pandemic. She worked behind the scenes but longed to be on the frontline.

After working in the pharmacy field, SABRINA

DENSON returned to school to become an RN because she wanted a different direct impact on patient care. "After living through this pandemic, I knew I wanted to help in any way that I could and learned that being a nurse was the right career for me.”

40/COLLEGE OF NURSING

↣ LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MEPN PROGRAM

BEYOND THE BEDSIDE

Ph.D. student CAROLYN

HARMON'S research interest

LEVI BECK's nursing career began with

in patient safety came after

inpatient mental health, which he

losing a close loved one

recalls was an great experience.

from a medical error. She

He is now a Nurse Navigator/RN

is studying the electronic

Caseworker for Prisma's Health's

medical record and cognitive

first behavioral intervention

load related to emergency

team. He always knew he would

department nursing

return to school at some point

practice, as most of the

but wasn't sure in which area. "Over

current literature focuses

the past few years, I have witnessed the integration of

on physicians. Harmon

technology into health care. I realized that I wanted to have an influential role in this shift and began the Nursing Informatics program," Beck says. He likes the challenges that come with nursing informatics and is excited about what the future holds.

shares, “Because of my personal experience, I have made significant changes in quality, efficiency, and outcomes within large health care systems. I want to continue making these changes through research to further improve patient safety.”

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF NURSING When you choose nursing at South Carolina, you learn from skilled educators, clinicians, and researchers. When you choose nursing at South Carolina, you join a team of caring, devoted, and innovative professionals.

When you choose nursing at South Carolina, you choose to be a leader.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN NURSING SCIENCE 803.777.9173 NURSGRAD@MAILBOX.SC.EDU SC.EDU/NURSING The master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 41

#1

2021 Online Graduate Nursing Programs U.S. News & World Report

2020-2024

NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education

$1.2 million Student scholarships in past 2 years

UOFSC NURSING

By The Numbers

7

Endowed Professorships

1840

Students enrolled for Fall 2021

Top 30s

In NIH funding among U.S. Colleges of Nursing

6,839

Hours volunteered for COVID-19 vaccine efforts 42 /COLLEGE OF NURSING

145

Full-time & part-time faculty

11,000+ Alumni

97-100%

ANCC pass rate for new FNP and AGACNP graduates in 2020

16

Programs

$17 million Grant funding in past 5 years

1st

Stand-alone SSH accredited nursing simulation program in South Carolina

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / 43

Nonprofit Organization US Postage Paid Columbia, SC Permit #766 Columbia, SC 29208

CAROLINA CARES CUPBOARD

Students in Need → Essentials Provided → Student Success This initiative provides essential everyday items to nursing students in need. These resources support students so they can focus on academics, enhancing their potential for success.